First Reading: Acts 15:1-6 Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters about this question. They were sent on their journey by the Church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brethren. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.” The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5 R. (see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Gospel: John 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” ESV I would like to think that I am a good house guest. I clean up after myself, I graciously thank my host, I offer to help, and I respect the life and lifestyle of my hosts. I used to think that is how I should show up to church. I should be wearing my Sunday best, I should be courteous in the parking lot, I should be early, I should shake hands and offer warm smiles, I should sit quietly and be a good guest in the house of the Lord. Wouldn’t Miss Manners be pleased? But God is not calling us to simply be a house guest, a temporary visitor, or an old friend who stops by on occasion. He has called us to truly dwell in His house. To me that means, take up space, ask questions, have tough conversations, kick up your feet (figuratively) and get comfortable because this is not a three-day weekend, this is your life and soul—for eternity. Now of course, I am still a proponent for politeness at Mass (and in general for that matter). I do not take up a whole pew when it’s a full house, I turn off my phone, I don’t scowl at those honking in the parking lot. But I have learned that I must make His house my own dwelling as well. I immerse myself in the homily, I participate in the sacraments, I sing heartily and enthusiastically, I am part of different ministries, I bring a wiggly toddler and show her that this is her house too. I am rolling up my sleeves and taking up space. "Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." Preach. [bctt tweet="God is not calling us to simply be a house guest. He has called us to truly dwell in His house."] We are called to dwell in the house of the Lord—in His physical house yes, but also His spiritual house. Don’t be afraid to take up space in your relationship with Him. Get your hands dirty. photo credit Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife, mom, and dentist currently living in the Bay Area, California. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 14:19-28 In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished. And when they arrived, they called the Church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Then they spent no little time with the disciples. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13AB, 21 R. (see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Gospel: John 14:27-31A Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.” NAB Seven hundred and ninety eight million Google results can’t be wrong—searching for lasting peace appears to be nearly as common to the human experience as seeking authentic love. We’ve been told that if we want peace, all we have to do is fill in the blank with grand-sounding axioms: work for justice; love our family; love ourselves; prepare for war; stop fighting. More specifically, we’re encouraged by society to buy these products, own that house, follow this career path, live in that neighborhood, have these friends, follow this eating plan, use that parenting philosophy, go on those vacations . . . and we’ll experience real “peace.” When the world promises peace with the shiny allure of “satisfaction guaranteed” antidotes, the implication is that all our problems will be solved, suffering will be erased, and we’ll never encounter conflict or pain again. Only, as we’ve all experienced, the promised results rarely (if ever) materialize. Suffering and pain remain. Personally, I don’t believe achieving genuine peace can be attained by following a bumper sticker-ready slogan or purchasing the latest gadget or getaway. Odds are, as a woman of faith, you don’t believe it, either. In Saint John’s Gospel, Jesus not only offers peace, He offers His peace. Jesus is quick to differentiate between His peace and the peace the world promises, encouraging His followers: “do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Amazingly, Christ’s words come soon before He is brutally tortured and murdered, and still He whole-heartedly encourages His followers to stay the course and prepare for what’s to come. Jesus has confidence that, despite great pain and suffering, simply trusting in and following the will of His Heavenly Father will bring about the ultimate good. Perhaps you’ve come to realize that peace—true peace—has nothing to do with the absence of suffering or discomfort and everything to do with trusting in God’s plan and the hope for Heaven. Or maybe, like me, you’re still working on trusting God with complete abandon. Whichever the case may be, Jesus is waiting for you to ask Him for the peace that surpasses understanding. Dear Lord, when the storms of this world rage, please help me remember that You did not come to bring comfort to this world but to open the doors to complete freedom with You in the next. I believe You want to bring me Your peace, Lord. Please help my disbelief. Amen. Heather Renshaw is a writer, speaker, and uplifter on a mission to love and serve God with her husband and five children in the Pacific NW. You can learn more about her here.

Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist First Reading: 1 Peter 5:5B-14 Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17 R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. The heavens proclaim your wonders, O LORD, and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies can rank with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the sons of God? R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Blessed the people who know the joyful shout; in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk. At your name they rejoice all the day, and through your justice they are exalted. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Gospel: Mark 16:15-20 Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. NAB Do you try to heap the weight of the world onto your own shoulders sometimes? Yeah, me too. And I get a sore neck to prove it. Why? I try to go at it alone. The burden becomes more than I can handle, becomes the weight of the world, precisely because I carry something I’m not meant to carry alone. Look to Jesus. Was He truly alone in Gethsemane? Was He alone along the Way of the Cross? Was He alone as He hung there on the Cross? God was with Him even in His darkest moment in Gethsemane. Several helped Him along the Way as He stumbled, repositioning His Cross so that He could continue His steps to Golgotha. Saint John, the beloved and faithful disciple, and Mary, His mother, were with Him until His last breaths as He hung, dejected on that Cross. He even made a friend in His suffering—the Good Thief—who reaches out to Him as he suffers too. You were not meant to go at this alone. “Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.” But also: “know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.” God is there in your suffering. But we are also in this together, sisters. As one part of the Body suffers, so does the rest. We carry each other along in this valley of tears, offering words of comfort, bringing meals, bandaging wounds, offering a listening ear, picking one another up as we fall along the way so we can make it to that Eternal Glory the Lord has waiting for us. Don’t be afraid to reach out. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us all in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 1 Corinthians 1:3-5 [bctt tweet="God is there in your suffering. But we are also in this together, sisters."] What are you shouldering all alone? Reach out to our Lord. Reach out to a friend. Share that burden. photo credit Laurel Muff is a creator and appreciator of beautiful things. She resides with her husband and daughters in Northern California. You can find more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 14:21-27 After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” They appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished. And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13 R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. Let them make known your might to the children of Adam, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-5A Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” The One who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Gospel: John 13:31-33A, 34-35 When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” NAB Lately, it seems like suffering has split the world wide open and left it bleeding and raw. Overwhelmed, I want to close my computer and ignore anything that sounds like heartbreak for me, for my family and friends, for my countrymen and those with whom I share this planet. My heart cries out for answers. Why, God, why is there so much suffering? Did you not promise to be our God and to always be with us? He did promise that. He came here to live among us, and through His own terrible, painful suffering and the sacrifice of His life, He made a new way. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away. Although things are terrible now, they won’t always be this way. God didn't create us for pain and suffering. God’s plan restores us to wholeness. He will wipe away our tears and bring in the new order—one where death doesn’t steal the ones we love. One where parents always get to hold their children. One where everything is made whole in the fullness of time. There is hope, because He makes all things new. So how shall we live until then, longing for that unbearably far away hope? Do we close our eyes and hold our breath? Do we build bunkers in our backyards and wait for the end? Do we keep to ourselves and let the world burn, turning a blind eye to the pain that surrounds us? Jesus gave us the answer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. That’s it. We have a new commandment. He told us in no uncertain terms what to do. Until He comes again to wipe every tear from our eyes, we should be wiping one another’s tears. Bearing one another’s burdens. Loving one another as He has loved us. We have the power right now to alleviate some of the great suffering in the world. That’s what we do between now and then. That’s how the world will know we are His. That’s how we change the world. [bctt tweet="There is hope, because He makes all things new."] Find one way this week to help lessen the suffering of someone else. If you need ideas, try looking at the list of the corporal works of mercy: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead, give alms to the poor. This Year of Mercy is a great time to start putting Jesus' new commandment into practice. photo credit Abbey Dupuy writes her life as a homeschooling mama of four while relying on coffee and grace. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 13:44-52 On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4 R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. Gospel: John 14:7-14 Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” NAB In today’s reading, Saint Paul tells us: For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth. And from Jesus: Amen, amen, I say to you, Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, And will do greater ones than these. So, on the one hand, that is awesome. I’m a light. An instrument of salvation. In possession of a latent ability to perform extraordinary miracles. It makes me want to get myself some knee-high boots and a cape. But on the other hand, that is overwhelming. To the ends of the earth is a long way. How can I be a light in a world filled with darkness? In a world celebrating darkness? Am I responsible for the salvation of my friends? My co-workers? My husband? My children? My parish priest? The UPS guy? People who are wrong on Facebook? It can feel like a burden. It can feel like if I don’t come up with just the right response to a co-worker’s joke about Catholics, I just lost my chance to evangelize the whole workplace. Or if a friend asks me a Catholic social teaching question that I don’t know the answer to, then her little smoldering ember of faith will be snuffed out forever. It’s easy to get caught up in worrying whether we’ll say or do just the right thing at just the right moment. But lights and instruments can’t accomplish anything on their own. They’re not meant to. It is not saying or doing just the right thing in the moment that will bring our friends and loved ones and acquaintances to a deeper relationship with God. The Holy Spirit will do that. Our job is to focus on living a life of faith and hope and love. Our job is to be the best wife and friend and parent we can be. To pray for others. To make sacrifices. To receive the Sacraments. To inform our consciences. To tell the truth in charity. To let God do the rest. [bctt tweet="How can I be a light in a world filled with darkness?"] I might be the “instrument” but God is doing the wielding. The shovel doesn’t have to worry about what it’s going to dig. It just has to be there. Being the best little shovel it can be. Trusting in the digger to do the rest. photo credit Kendra Tierney lives in Los Angeles, CA where her interests include blogging, homeschooling, looking after her eight children, and fixing up a hundred year old tumbledown mansion. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: “My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to death, and when they had accomplished all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11AB R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. “I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.” R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. “Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.” R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice. R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you. Gospel: John 14:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” NAB In today's Gospel, we encounter Jesus' famous words: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." As I contemplated Jesus as "the way," I remembered the following lines from Proverbs: Here are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman. The “way” the poet speaks of is not just a pathway, not just a direction, indeed it is a way of functioning. The eagle flies naturally. The snake's slither is an instinct. We know that Christ is the way, but unfortunately for us, choosing Christ is not instinctual. In today’s Gospel, Jesus encourages His disciples: “Where I am going you know the way.” And Saint Thomas immediately responds: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” When I first read the passage, Thomas's words seemed a little harsh: he contradicts Jesus. But as I reread it, I was struck by Thomas’s honesty and even humility. Unlike the eagle in the sky who soars so effortlessly, we are fumbling here on earth. We desire so much goodness, but it's challenging to realize that goodness in life's humdrum challenges. Like Thomas, be honest about this struggle and let his words become your natural response to frustration: “Master, I do not know where you are going; how can I know the way?” When the car in front of you doesn’t see the green light, or the wait at the doctor’s office is too long, or the toddler takes forever to walk from the car to the house—any moment that teases you away from charity and towards impatience or frustration—speak Thomas’s words as a humble prayer: “Master, I do not know where you are going; how can I know the way?” [bctt tweet="Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"] photo credit Kate Rhodes is the wife of a lanky carpenter and mother to three littles. She used to teach English, but then she joined the ranks of SAHMs. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 13:13-25 From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and returned to Jerusalem. They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the synagogue officials sent word to them, “My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm he led them out, and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance at the end of about four hundred and fifty years. After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 AND 27 R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.” R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. “My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.’” R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Gospel: John 13:16-20 When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” NAB Having a servant’s heart is not something that comes naturally to me. My default is to serve myself, and not others. I go anywhere from annoyed to irate when my plans are up-ended by someone else’s needs, or when I don’t get my “me time” each day, or when I’m not recognized the way I think I should be. Selfishness—I’m great at selfishness. But aren’t servanthood and self-denial the very things my Lord asks of me? “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mt 20:26). And again, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23). We see Him in the Gospel today, washing the feet of His disciples, getting on His hands and knees and doing a servant's work. He gave endlessly of Himself to those around Him, even to the point of giving His life. So why do I think my life should be any different, that I should somehow be exempt from that? “No slave is greater than his master, nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (Jn 13:16) How well Saint John the Baptist understood that. When people were looking to him, thinking he might be the Savior they had been waiting for, generation upon generation, he could have taken that attention and turned it into glory for himself. But instead he denied himself and pointed to Jesus: “I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.” (Acts 13:25) I like to think I am in control of my life, but when we realize that our lives are not our own, that we have been purchased by His Blood, and that everything we have is from Him, it becomes so much easier to let go of selfishness and pride, and to serve, even as He served. I think selfishness is rooted in fear—fear that we will not have, or be loved, or be important, or fear that another person’s good will somehow harm us. Do not be afraid to be selfless, for when He empties us of ourselves we can be filled with Him. When He breaks us we can be reformed in His likeness. When He makes us nothing to the world our works can mean something in eternity. [bctt tweet="When He empties us of ourselves we can be filled with Him"] Let us use the beautiful words of our Blessed Mother as our offering today. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38) photo credit Anna Coyne is a wife, mother, musician, knitter, gardener, and convert to the Catholic faith. Read more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 11:19-26 Those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews. There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however, who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 87:1B-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. (117:1a) All you nations, praise the Lord. His foundation upon the holy mountains the LORD loves: The gates of Zion, more than any dwelling of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God! R. All you nations, praise the Lord. I tell of Egypt and Babylon among those who know the LORD; Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia: “This man was born there.” And of Zion they shall say: “One and all were born in her; And he who has established her is the Most High LORD.” R. All you nations, praise the Lord. They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled: “This man was born there.” And all shall sing, in their festive dance: “My home is within you.” R. All you nations, praise the Lord. Gospel: John 10:22-30 The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” NAB “Ladies, during your lunch break, please take a moment to stop by the map hanging by the food tables to "pin" where you traveled from!" These were the instructions I heard last month when I had the opportunity to attend Blessed is She’s first annual retreat in Arizona—an amazing day that was filled with fellowship, prayer, and worship. By the time I got around to eating lunch, mingling with some new friends, and finding the large United States map, I was excited to find that two other pins had already been added to Minnesota. “This is so awesome!” I thought as I stared at the map which had thumb tacks scattered from coast to coast. As I reflected on today's readings—and especially the First Reading—I couldn't help but think about that map. Just as the earliest followers were scattered throughout Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, so too were the retreat attendees from different parts of the country. And just as the earliest followers may have been carpenters, fisherman, or tax collectors, so too were the retreat attendees living their lives as stay-at-home mothers, dentists, or teachers, to name a few. Despite all of the differences with geography, career paths, or life stages, one common thread remained between those earliest followers and the women from the retreat: the belief that Jesus is Lord. It is because of this shared belief that I was able to walk up to complete strangers at this retreat and feel totally welcomed, and it is because of this shared belief that I am able to write to you today. And so, my dear sisters, let’s be sheep in Jesus’ flock. Let’s gather together and offer one another the encouragement that we all need sometimes in life—to be that shoulder to cry on, the ear to share exciting news with, or the hand to hold when times are tough. [bctt tweet="A common thread remains between the earliest followers & these women: the belief that Jesus is Lord."] What one thing can you do today to build up your sisters in Christ? Perhaps you have a friend you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Give her a call and catch up. Maybe there’s a new woman you’ve noticed at your parish. Say hello to her the next time you see her and introduce yourself. Whatever it is that you do, know that it is not going unnoticed. photo credit Joan Geiger is a North Dakota native and newlywed, and in her spare time she can be found going on adventures with her husband, working as a Registered Dietitian, and drinking coffee. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 13:14, 43-52 Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 R. (3c) We are his people, the sheep of his flock. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock. Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock. The LORD is good: his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations. R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock. Second Reading: Revelation 7:9, 14B-17 I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. Then one of the elders said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Gospel: John 10:27-30 Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” NAB "I know them, and they follow me." Today's readings so beautifully illustrated God's love story for each of us, His Church, and the whole world. For many of us, sheep and shepherds aren’t something we often think about or compare ourselves to. But as our shepherd, God provides for us, nurtures us, and intimately knows each of us. When Jesus came to earth, He not only was to be our Shepherd, but in His humility, became the Lamb who was slain. As we live out our day-to-day faith, Jesus is still at work as our Shepherd. He longs to intimately know us and work through us, transforming us to be ever more like Him. As we allow the gift of faith to be at work in our life, we are able to hear and then to follow the Shepherd's call. When we heed the call, we, in turn, become the shepherd to those around us. We are called to bring love and to nurture those put into our life—in short, to imitate Jesus. And that is how we bring the reign of God to the world. Our world hungers for the intimacy that Christ wants to have with each of us. Every person longs to be loved. To be heard. To be valued. To be truly known. It is our job as Christians to strive to be the one who loves, hears, values, and knows those around us. Let us live in the knowledge of the intimacy God desires to have with us and seek to share it with those around us. In closing, here's a quote I love from Pope Benedict XVI: “Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him. The task of the shepherd—the task of the fisher of men—can often seem wearisome. But it is beautiful and wonderful, because it is truly a service to joy, to God’s joy which longs to break into the world.” [bctt tweet="There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ."] Spend some time today contemplating the greatness of what it means that God wants to intimately know you. Then think of one person you can seek to show love to this week by hearing them and letting them know their value. photo credit Sarah Ortiz is a Catholic convert, and when not folding laundry, she can be found reading, experimenting in the kitchen, or writing at her blog. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 9:31-42 The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers. As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.” He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated is Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 R. (12) How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones. R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? Gospel: John 6:60-69 Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” NAB A few years ago, I sat down and made list of all the hard things I had done in my life. Move overseas in my twenties; seek treatment for my anxiety disorder; survive two pregnancy losses; teach an extraordinarily difficult group of teenagers without quitting. It was a helpful exercise, because I don’t normally think of myself as tough or courageous. But by looking at all the hard things I’d already done, I realized that maybe I could expect a little more from myself than I normally do. This Gospel passage also invites us to think of how we can stretch ourselves. Right before today’s reading, Jesus has delivered the extremely challenging teaching about the Eucharist, telling His hearers that unless they eat His flesh and drink His blood they will not have eternal life. They say to each other, This saying is hard; who can accept it? Many don’t try. They hit a wall and back off instead of finding a way to scale that wall using faith as their rope. But to reject Christ’s invitation here is to reject the Eucharist, and that’s a huge loss. The older I get, the more I realize that meeting Jesus every Sunday is absolutely critical to my ability to navigate life’s challenges. No matter how fearful, anxious, stressed out, or ready to quit my job I may be, I am always grounded by that close encounter with Jesus at Mass. The mystery of the Eucharist is not easy to grasp; how can He be truly present in that bread and wine? Those people in the Gospel were right. It is hard. But I’ve found—much like Saint Peter, I guess—that in the long run, it’s harder not to believe in the radical love of God. When we embrace the challenge of His love, we are changed, body and soul. We learn to see ourselves as He does, and we discover that we’re far stronger than we ever imagined we could be. [bctt tweet="When we embrace the challenge of His love, we are changed, body and soul."] Make a list of all the hard things you've done in your life. Recognize that God has been with you through every one of those challenges and will be with you through all those to come. photo credit Ginny Kubitz Moyer is a mother, high school English teacher, and BBC period drama junkie. She is the author of Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses and Random MOMents of Grace: Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood. Ginny lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two boys, and about thirty thousand Legos. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20 Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1BC, 2 R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever. R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Gospel: John 6:52-59 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. NAB "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” The first time I heard this Gospel, all I could think of was Bram Stoker's classic Dracula. Since I struggled with the “eat my flesh, drink my blood” thing, I couldn’t get beyond the literal interpretation. Ninth grade Mary was totally grossed out. Luckily, I grew up. Now, when I hear it with adult ears, I understand Saint John is encouraging us to enter into a robust relationship with the Lord by receiving Him in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. When we receive Our Lord, He enters fully into us and we into Him. We are in complete and total communion. Nothing hidden, everything shared. We are never closer to God than in those few minutes our body receives Him. It's a true miracle requiring a true faith. “Amen, Amen I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you.” For many outside the Catholic Church, these words are often misunderstood and cause fear and anger. But when I read this passage, all I hear is Jesus' familiar, straight-talking truth. If we want a relationship with Him, and any shot at eternal life with Him, we must do as He asks. As a wife receives her husband in the intimate marital embrace, we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. Two shall become one. Come to Him, humbly and in earnest, and enter into the relationship He offers. Allow Jesus to see and heal what's hidden. Hold nothing back. Not your sin, your shame, or your brokenness, His mercy and grace will heal it all and you'll be brought to new life. [bctt tweet="Allow Jesus to see and heal what's hidden. Hold nothing back."] We've been given two incredible sacraments in the church to help build this relationship: Holy Communion and Reconciliation. Take advantage of every opportunity for that divine conversation, my friends. God will always meet you where you are and He'll never let you down. photo credit Mary Lenaburg married her first (and only) blind date going on 27 years ago, is a full-time liturgy coordinator, and parents one adult son navigating his path on earth and a special needs daughter safely in Heaven. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 8:26-40 The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the Scripture passage he was reading: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth. Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Bless our God, you peoples, loudly sound his praise; He has given life to our souls, and has not let our feet slip. R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. When I appealed to him in words, praise was on the tip of my tongue. R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness! R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Gospel: John 6:44-51 Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” NAB I think we can trick ourselves into thinking that salvation is simply too hard to grasp. That because holiness is a life-long pursuit, the love of God or His love for us is somehow out of reach or unattainable. In the First Reading we encounter the eunuch, who then encounters Saint Philip, who teaches him about Jesus. Totally overwhelmed with the fervor of belief, he jumps into a puddle, and is baptized. And Saint John reiterates this availability of Love to us in the Gospel—the Bread of Life is here, He is here to feed us and to save us. He is available for the taking if only we take, if only we jump in that same sacred puddle. Freely He gave, remember? Let's spend some time with this on our minds today. Particularly at Holy Mass, if you have the opportunity to go. There He is, the Bread of Life, there for taking. Closeness to the Lord is always in reach. It's not far off. The puddle of mercy is just right here, on the side of the road, next to your bed, in the kitchen, at the market. I want to jump with the faith of the eunuch. Over and over. Don't you? Another thought—how can we bring this same hope to the people God has entrusted to us to serve? Just like Saint Philip brought Jesus to the eunuch, we have people in our midst in need of Jesus, too. Maybe it's not a literal conversion they need but a new resolve to live in faith, hope, and love. Maybe what they are searching for is a reminder that Christ is still as close as He always was, that the puddle of His mercy is just right there. Still. [bctt tweet="Closeness to the Lord is always in reach. It's not far off."] Be the guide to Christ to those around you. Show them faith, hope, and love. photo credit Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of 6 smallish kids. She loves the quiet life in small town SoCal. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 8:1B-8 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66:1-3A, 4-5, 6-7A R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. “Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river they passed on foot; therefore let us rejoice in him. He rules by his might forever. R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Gospel: John 6:35-40 Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” NAB I have to be honest, sometimes I think God’s will really stinks. Or, at least that’s the way it sometimes feels in the moment. You see, I’m a planner. If Type A had a conference, I’d not only attend, but I'd be the organizer. At times, it feels like I have the death grip on the plans for my life. Attend college, check. Get married, check. Have kids, check. Get gray hair, wait, wrong list. All of those “plans” I had for my life were beautiful, life-changing, and virtuous. But it’s when I relinquished the reins and leaned into the lessons of God’s will, that we dove deeper. Together. This past fall, our school community was rocked with four very tragic, very difficult deaths—a sibling, a student, a mother, and a grandfather. I’ll be honest, I really struggled with how all of that loss, all of those tears, could be His will. Then, God poured on the grace. I came to understand that much loss in that short of a time was never His will. How our community has rallied, prayed, and transformed had His hand all over it, though. It has been the “take your breath away” kind of beauty I never saw coming. He’s good at that. I’ve seen a palpable change in how I parent my children, a refocused priority shift in my marriage, the ability to let (most of) the little stuff go. In the end, though, God wants all of us. Go ahead and flip the let’s do this button and hand over the keys to your will. You aren’t handing them over blindly, you’re handing them over in faith, knowing that your ‘yes’ leads to heaven. How about it? Let’s do this. [bctt tweet="In the end, God wants all of us. So let's go."] Instead of saying no today, find one way to say yes to God. It might be saying no to social media and yes to your kids, no to ice cream and yes to a family walk or no to the snooze button and yes to daily Mass. photo credit Kathryn Whitaker and her husband, Scott, have 6 awesome kids, teen to toddler. She is a former public relations consultant turned freelance graphic designer, party planner, organizer, and preemie advocate who hails from the Lone Star state. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 7:51—8:1A Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his execution. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:3CD-4, 6 AND 7B AND 8A, 17 AND 21AB R. (6a) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety. You are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me. R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. My trust is in the LORD; I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy. R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your kindness. You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men. R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Gospel: John 6:30-35 The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” NAB Saint Stephen, our first martyr, gives a powerful witness of handing his life over to Christ. Within this reading, when Stephen says, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” it is a sacrifice that reminds me of another powerful story of another Stephen. As one of Blessed Is She's contributing worship leaders, today I want to tell you the story behind the song How He Loves. It is likely that you know the song, but very few people know its story. The song was written by a man named John Mark McMillan. Years ago, John Mark served in a ministry alongside his friend Stephen. One morning in a prayer group, frustrated by the lack of passion in the youth, Stephen got up and prayed aloud, “Lord, if it would shake the youth of the nation, I would give my life today.” He died in a car accident that night. John Mark woke up the next morning devastated and angry . . . and wrote How He Loves. He says that it was not written as a worship song, but is a story about a guy named Stephen who meets the Lord for the first time after his death . . . and that he knows this song is in some way a fulfillment of what Stephen had spoken. In the original song, there is a third verse most have never heard . . . I thought about You The day Stephen died And you met me between my breaking I know that I still love you God Despite the agony See people they want to tell me you’re cruel But if Stephen could sing He’d say it’s not true Cause you’re good Beautiful things arise from people who offer their lives—in life and in death—to our God. The ripples borne from such offerings reach far beyond what our human minds can fathom in light of a limitless God. Saint Stephen paved the way for the many martyrs who have surrendered their lives for the cause of Christ. I cannot imagine the impact that came from His death as people who knew Jesus personally watched Saint Stephen die for Him. A song arose from the death of Stephen—one that has impacted the lives and faith of millions. The ripples all look different—but they all hold incomprehensible power. May we—in life and in death—offer our lives to the Lord by example of Saint Stephen . . . and may the ripples God creates through our surrender change the world. [bctt tweet="May the ripples God creates through our surrender change the world."] If possible, I encourage you to listen to this song again today, especially if you have never heard the story behind it before. It takes on new meaning when we know why it was written. Pray with it in light of the story of Saint Stephen the martyr and John Mark's friend Stephen and ask God to reveal how you can better offer your life to Him in the small ways and the big ways. photo credit Emily Wilson planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic musician and speaker at the hand of God. She lives out of her suitcase and travels across the world speaking to people of all ages. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to teen girls in search of their true identity, and she loves ever second of it. You can find out more about her here.

Memorial of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr First Reading: Acts 6:8-15 Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, accosted him, seized him, and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They presented false witnesses who testified, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law. For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30 R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Though princes meet and talk against me, your servant meditates on your statutes. Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors. R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! I declared my ways, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds. R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law. The way of truth I have chosen; I have set your ordinances before me. R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Gospel: John 6:22-29 [After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” NAB I remember my early encounters in reading the Gospel. I always found it ridiculous that these people who could see Jesus with their own eyes, who could hear His very voice speak to their own souls, who were in His earthly, physical presence not realize that this man was their saviour, true God and true Man. Why were they not falling to their knees? Why were they not running and embracing Him? Why did they not understand? How could they not recognize Him? In today's Gospel we see those lucky 5000 following Jesus right after they were present for His multiplication of loaves. They were present at a very incredible miracle. And yet, as the Gospel describes it, they're following Jesus today because they want more food, and hey, Jesus seems to make food happen, so all they have to do is stick around. But Jesus confronts their self-serving attitude towards Him quickly. He says they are following Him not because they have faith in Him or even because of the miracle they witnessed, but because they had a good meal. How blind can these people be?! But how blind can I be when I show up for Mass every week and not realize I am in the real presence of Christ just as those people in Galilee were during the multiplication of loaves? How blind am I that attend Mass out of habit or routine? How blind am I that I act as if going through the motions and receiving the Eucharist is all I need to do in order to be a good Catholic? How blind am I to the miracle that takes place in each and every Mass? How many times do I show up to Mass expecting just to be filled for the now—not thinking at all about the eternal consequences of Christ's sacrifice? How blind can I be? And so if I put myself into the shoes of those people following Jesus looking for a decent meal I shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about how easy it was for the them to fail to recognize Christ. Because I fail to appreciate Jesus' very presence at Mass and in the Eucharist pretty easily too. [bctt tweet="How blind can I be to his goodness and his love for me?"] Lord Jesus, help us to know You as the true Bread of Life. Help us to see and appreciate Your true presence at the Mass and in the Eucharist. photo credit Christy Isinger is the mom to five lovely, loud children living in the Canadian wilds. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32, 40B-41 When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14 I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Gospel: John 21:1-19 At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” NAB Today's readings come with a challenge for us to consider how we respond to and worship the Risen Lord. We are given two examples. The first, we see in the Book of Revelation that "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe" cried out in praise of God. All of creation is crying out to praise our Lord. The second, in the moment Simon Peter knew that it was Jesus standing on the shore he jumped out of the boat. His goal: to be close to Christ as soon as possible. Just sitting with those images draws me into praise. Our great and mighty God, Creator, Savior, Heavenly Father, He is worthy to be praised. Sitting with those images also makes me see how much more I need to praise. Maybe it does for you, too. Depending on your season of life how you work in more time with God will look different from the next woman, but here are some ideas that may work: - Turn off the podcast, music, or show while washing dishes or folding laundry and sing a praise and worship song. - Drop by your local Catholic church and make a holy hour, a holy five minutes, or whatever you can work in. - Make the sign of the cross and pray, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!" every time you drive past a Catholic church. - Memorize a Bible verse each week, pondering it in your heart while committing it to memory. The worms are praising God; it is shameful if we are not, too. And don't put this off —jump out of the boat and race towards God every day. He is right there. [bctt tweet="Jump out of the boat and race towards God every day. He is right there."] Choose a line of Scripture to memorize this week. Sing it to yourself. Scribble it down on a post-it note. Really take it in. photo credit Bonnie Engstrom is a writer, baker, speaker and homemaker. She lives with her husband and six children in central Illinois. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 6:1-7 As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the Apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Gospel: John 6:16-21 When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading. NAB I think I would have made a really good nun. Not that it was ever really an option, because I wasn’t Catholic growing up, but often I find myself wondering why God called me to married life rather than to the contemplative life. Maybe it is just me being wistful . . . when I am stuck in the madness of growing family and demands of home life . . . to think “ah! I should have been a nun.” It isn’t that I am unhappy in my life as a wife and mother, but it's challenging to carve out time to go to the bathroom let alone take time for silent reflection and prayer. As I am writing these very words my seven year old is pouting that I didn’t take her to the library, oh and she is hungry, oh and she wants (fill in the blank!) and in this very moment—and I just want to write. Similarly, there are those in our community who do feel called to married life and want desperately to have those little children begging to go to the library, but it hasn’t happened yet. And still more some of you are not sure what you are called to do. Whatever our vocation, and whatever our desires, and whatever our circumstances, this is truth: we can’t do everything all the time, yet we are called to serve, and we can serve every day in some way. I love this reading from Acts. The disciples, so wise, of course, being filled with the most awesome Holy Spirit, saw that they couldn’t all do everything. They needed to step back and start delineating the many duties it takes to fulfill a ministry. Learning to have peace in our vocation, while also being able to recognize when we need to make changes, is a lesson I haven’t yet mastered. Today’s reading reminds us however, that we need to place our trust in Him. He has called each of us to serve Him in a multitude of ways. Sometimes it helps to think less about the big picture (where am I going Lord, why am I here and not there?) and to think more about how we can serve Him right now, where we actually are, doing what we're actually doing. [bctt tweet="Let's think about how we can serve Him right now, where we actually are."] How can you answer His call to serve today? photo credit MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.